This invention relates to the lining of pipelines or passageways, using flexible tubular materials which are impregnated with curable synthetic resin and which, when placed in position lining the pipeline or passageway are held by fluid pressure against the pipeline or passageway surface until the resin cures to a hard condition leaving a hard lining pipe lying on the pipeline or passageway surface.
The most widely practised method using such resin impregnated linings is disclosed in British Patent No. 1449455 from which it will be seen that the impregnated lining is applied to the pipeline or passageway surface by eversion of same into the pipeline or passageway, using fluid pressure.
The present invention is concerned with lining pipelines which are called “laterals” insofar as they enter sidewise a main pipeline or passageway, such as a main sewer. Of any particular main line, there may be a plurality of laterals entering the main line, and it frequently arises that the laterals have to be lined by means of a resin impregnated tube. Using existing methods for lining laterals, it is not possible to perform any lining operation of a second or subsequent lateral whilst the lining in one lateral is being cured. As the cure time may take up to 5 or 6 hours, if a section of main line having say 5 laterals to be lined is involved, the minimum total time to line all laterals will be in the order of 25 to 30 hours. As these lining operations are required to be carried out during the night for purposes of convenience, it is often the case that the completion of the work has to take place over several evenings and therefore the work crew must depart the site and return at a later date to complete the work.
The present invention is concerned with providing an arrangement wherein the completion of a plurality of lateral lining operations may be effected in a much shorter period.